Apple Cinnamon Rolls

Apple cinnamon rolls are tender homemade cinnamon rolls with apple cinnamon sugar filling and topped with cinnamon cream cheese frosting. They're a cozy fall breakfast or dessert.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 40

Rising 1

Total Time 2

Servings cinnamon rolls

Calories 538kcal

Author Kate @ I Heart Eating

Equipment

Mixer
9x13 pan

Ingredients

Dough

1 cup whole milk
½ cup granulated sugar divided
2 ¼ teaspoons 1 package active dry yeast
2 large eggs room temperature
½ cup unsalted butter melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4-4 ½ cups all purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt

Filling

6 tablespoons unsalted butter softened but not melted
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 ½ cups peeled and diced Honeycrisp apple about 1 apple

Cinnamon cream cheese frosting

8 ounce package cream cheese at room temperature
¼ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch or two of salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Pour milk into a microwave-safe measuring cup. Microwave in 30-second intervals until it reaches about 110-115 degrees F. (If it gets too hot, let it sit on the counter for a few minutes to come down in temperature)
1 cup whole milk
Add warm milk, ¼ cup granulated sugar, and yeast to the bowl of your stand mixer. Use a fork to lightly stir it all together. Let sit for 5 minutes for yeast to bloom.
2 ¼ teaspoons 1 package active dry yeast
Add eggs, remaining ¼ cup sugar, ½ cup melted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Use the fork again to lightly beat the eggs.
2 large eggs
Pour in 3 ½ cups flour and ¼ teaspoon salt. Use a paddle attachment on your stand mixer to combine the ingredients, then switch to the dough hook.
With the dough hook, knead the flour into the liquid ingredients until combined. Continue to knead with the dough hook for another 8-10 minutes, or until the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. If the dough seems too sticky, you can add between ½ and 1 cup more flour. The dough should feel slightly sticky when pinched but shouldn't come off on your fingers.
Grease a clean bowl lightly with oil. Remove dough from the mixing bowl and place it in the greased bowl, turning to coat in oil on all sides.
Cover with a clean kitchen towel and set in a warm place to rise for about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
In a medium bowl, add ½ cup granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon.
Spread the softened butter all over the dough, and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly on top.
Add diced apples in an even layer on top of the cinnamon sugar.
1 ½ cups peeled and diced Honeycrisp apple
Working from the longer side of the rectangle, cut 12 2-inch strips out of the dough. Roll each strip tightly into itself to create a spiral roll.
Place the rolls, swirl-side up, in the greased baking dish.
Cover with the same clean dish towel and allow to sit in a warm place for another 30 minutes.
While waiting for the rolls to rest, clean the bowl of your stand mixer.
Bake cinnamon rolls for about 40-50 minutes, or until baked in the center and golden brown on top.
Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, beat together cream cheese and ¼ cup butter with the paddle attachment.
8 ounce package cream cheese
Add in powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and a pinch or two of salt. Beat again until smooth and creamy.
2 cups powdered sugar
Spread cinnamon frosting on top of warm rolls.

Notes

Milk: Using whole milk will give you softer, richer dough.

Butter: You can use salted butter and omit the additional salt.

Flour: You'll only need enough flour to get the dough to the point described in the recipe. If you add too much flour, you'll end up with dry, heavy cinnamon rolls.

Cinnamon: You can use apple pie spice in place of the cinnamon in the filling.

Apple: It's important to use a baking apple, like Honeycrisp or Granny Smith, so that the apple will hold its shape and not bake into mush.
Cream cheese: It's important to use either full-fat or 1/3-less fat cream cheese. Fat free cream cheese won't mix up nice and creamy in the frosting.
Nutrition values are estimates.

Nutrition